Shinka no Mi (Shiranai Uchi ni Kachigumi Jinsei)

Netherworld

The result of believing in a magic formation deployed by a naked man—— .

「——Where in the hell’s name is this!?」

In the world where the vegetation were painted in jet black and the sky was dyed in dark red, I was there .

「No, isn’t it complete bullshit that this place will bring me happiness!? There are only premonition of unhappiness no matter where I look at though!?」

Just like when I was in the 【Forest of Endless Sorrow】, when I unconsciously let my mouth run wild, a voice began to reverberate from nowhere .

『…This is the Netherworld . The place where the soul of the dead floats, Netherworld… 』

「Ah, Netherworld! …NETHERWORLD!? Rather, who are you!?」

Scary!? Just where does the voice…rather, really, who is it!?

『…I am Netherworld . This Netherworld itself…』

「The scale’s too big!」

I really didn’t expect there will be a day when the Netherworld will talk to me!

Rather…!

「Netherworld!? For reals!?」

『 … . Yes… You have died…』

「Waow」

A fact that was served cold and hard .

For a moment, I couldn’t comprehend of what the hell was this netherworld fellow saying about . Please talk in human speech .

However, my confusion gradually subsided, then finally… .

「HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?」

I could only shout .

Nononono! Dead!? O~kay~, you fucking with me!?

「Suddenly came out then told me I’m dead don’t kid with me! I demand a consolation fee!」

『 …This is the Netherworld…you have no human right here…』

「My human right is always denied wherever I go huh!」

Are you sure my race is 『Human』 ? Because I have never been treated as a 『human』 you know?

As I desperately throwback my words, the Netherworld’s voice began to speak again after a little while .

『 ……However, that is only the result, you virtually have not defunct…』

「Yup, I don’t understand . Make it simpler please . 」

『……You have not died…』

「YOSSHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!」

What is it, you~! Making me all worried~!

I was raising my voice in joy, but as though pouring a cold water on it, the Netherworld’s voice continued .

『…However, you will die as a result…』

「So which one is it!?」

I mean, I only got spirited out to this world by a transfer magic .

I have no recollection of being stabbed or suffering a cardiac arrest . …No, there may be also a technique to swiftly kill someone though .

『… I will say it again… This is the Netherworld… Netherworld is, the Kingdom of the dead… That’s why, everything in this world is dead, and precisely because they are dead they are in this world… Adaptation is, impossible… 』

「Ah . 」

I finally understood it after hearing the Netherworld’s explanation .

In other words, being in a world where a living human went to after they died was as good as being dead .

「No way… I’m really dead…?」

I was seriously depressed this time .

I mean… right? I haven’t made any resolution you know?

I also left Saria and the girls on the other side… .

Was it wrong for me to believe in the magic formation’s words…?

Haah… So this is my end—— .

The moment I thought so, an announcement flowed into my brain .

«The Skill 【Evolution】 has been activated . Henceforth, your body has been adapted to the Netherworld»

『…Ah… Just now, your body has become okay to be here…』

「So I adapted to it huh!」

My body had adapted to the Netherworld .

『…I don’t understand, but you seeming to be able to act even in the Netherworld… you have become a deceased… is appearing a little bit different to be like that… Really, I don’t understand… 』

My body is too weird that even the Netherworld is bewildered by it .

I’ll say again and again .

This body is of a human okay!? I’m the one who doubts it the most though!

After I retorted it to some extent in my mind, I calmed my emotion once .

「Oh, well… I’m glad I know I’m still alive, but how I do get out from here?」

Yes, that’s the important part .

At any rate, there’s no point of all this if I can’t get out .

「Ah, that’s it! I also only have to use magic to return!」

『 …Unfortunately, Netherworld is a different world altogether from the human world… Transfer magic can only be used within the same world…』

「Ah…」

That was right, I didn’t expect the situation would end up like this, so I never thought about it before, but transfer magic could only be used inside the same world .

That was precisely why, I couldn’t use transfer magic to return to Earth .

… . Hold up? Doesn’t that mean… .

I who had a bad hunch, hastily tried to contact Saria and the girls through the function of 【Necklace of Endless Love】 .

But… .

「Oi, Saria! Al! Rurune! Can you hear me!?」

But no one answered my call .

Is this for real… won’t this mean I can’t go home nor contact anyone… .

As I was depressed, I suddenly remembered something .

「…Eh? But I was casted away from the Human world to here though? It was a transfer magic even…」

『 …If you use a special method, you can cross over the worlds… And above all, going to Netherworld itself is easy… You have to die after all… However, you can’t revive the dead… That is why, you can’t return from Netherworld to the Human world using transfer magic… 』

So in the end I died after all!

「… No, but, the man who sent me once came to the Netherworld, that’s why he could send me to Netherworld like this, right…? …Eeh? Don’t tell me… That person was dead…!?」

As I was shivering to the sudden horror that attacked me, the Netherworld denied it .

『 …That is impossible… As I said earlier, if one use a special method, they can use a transfer magic only to go to the Netherworld… 』

「A special method?」

『 … Yes… Transfer magic is, as long as a part of your body touches the ground, you can make the magic formation go to the destination… The gate that connects the Netherworld and the Human world… In other words, the entrance of the Netherworld, if you put the tool that acted the gate as your own body, it would make it work…』

「Transferring to the Netherworld is surprisingly easy huh . 」

『 …No…that tool too, is an existence of a higher dimension… In other words, it can’t be made without the might of the Gods… 』

That is to say, that naked man, using the tool he received from God, he obtained a power to bring people to the Netherworld .

「Without the power of that God, you can’t transfer across the worlds… like that?」

『…That would be so…』

I see… it seems like it will be fundamentally hard for us to return to Earth . …No, it’s not me who wants to return, but I want to return Shota and the rest . I have Saria and the others in this world after all .

Rather, I heard it quite casually, but… .

「Umm … Are Netherworld and Human World connected by something that visible…?」

『…Yes…』

「Are you for real . 」

I couldn’t hide my surprise to the shocking truth .

『 …The gate to the Netherworld, is placed in faraway west of Human World…』

「…Wouldn’t that mean, dead people and such will try to go out from there?」

『…About that matter, has a relation of why I called to you like this…』

「Eh?」

Indeed, I don’t understand why it suddenly talked to someone like me .

『 …I failed to mention this, but this ego of mine will soon disappear…』

「Isn’t that an extremely serious matter!? Why didn’t you say it before!?」

『…I was trying to answer your questions…』

「My deepest apologize!」

I dogeza on the spot .

It’s completely my fault, isn’t it! I’m really sorry!

『…No, It’s alright… Continuing the talk… The reason I called out to you, is because I want you to exterminate a raging evil spirit that resides in here, the Netherworld . 』

Uh-oh, the talk becomes more complex .

『 …As you feared, the evil spirits are pushing the gate all at once, trying to get into the Human world… Normally, the gate is open, and being guarded by the gatekeeper… But said gatekeeper was overthrown, and in order to not let the evil spirits free, I closed the gate… By all rights, the soul of the dead from the Human world will stay in there if the gate is closed, and soon will become Undead Monsters like Zombie and so on… 』

「Uwaah…」

I got pulled back a little by the development that was more serious that I expected . Rather, is this really something that will make me happy?

「I understand the circumstances… but why me?」

『 …Originally, the soul of the dead will only exist drifting around without any substances… However, evil spirits have a strong wicked ego accompanied by a substantial body, so there is no one who can defeat them… Normally, the gatekeeper can surpress such cases… But this time, the King of Evil Spirits appeared, and every evil spirits have been strengthened…』

What’s with this game like development? No, the fact that we came to an another world itself is pretty much like a game though .

『…You are the only being who has an ego in this Netherworld… In order to produce a new gatekeeper, I will liberate all of my power, so instead of losing my ego, it’s more correct to say I will go into a deep sleep to store my power… At any rate, I am hoping for you to defeat the King of Evil Spirits and the other evil spirits… 』

「Quite the unreasonable request isn’t it . 」

『…I feel really sorry about this… Worst come to worst, you don’t have to kill the Evil Spirit King… Originally, it’s a trouble I ought to deal by myself… That’s precisely what it means by losing my ego to defeat it… However, at least… at least, would you please buy a time until I can produce a new gatekeeper… I won’t say it’s for free… I shall promise you I will return you from the Netherworld…』

I see… It’s hard to be a Netherworld too, huh . The talk skyrocketed too fast I got calmed down instead though .

Besides, if I listened to the Netherworld’s request, I can go back it seems .

「Understood, I will help . Only if you’re fine with me who might not be able to do anything . 」

In truth, while things may be different in Human world, I don’t know just how strong I am in this Netherworld . I might as well be a deadhead here…

While I was thinking like that, I heard the Netherworld raised its voice in gratitude .

『…Thank you very much… Thank you very much…』

Thus, I was made to exterminate evil spirits in the Netherworld .